Machine for putting covers on cans



Aug! v I. .CLOJERI CSON mcamgir'oa PUTTING covmas on CANS Filed June 27,1925 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Show 7km,

Aug. 31 1926.

1,57,776 c. o. ERICSON MACH INE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Filed June27. 1925 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 v M A 4 a; aha-31"?" Aug. 31 1926.

C. O. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS on CANS 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledJune 27, 1925 404 g auolemtioz I flbtm I Aug. 31 1926.

C. O. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS on CANS 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 FilegiJune 27, 1925 Aug. 31 1926. 1,597,776

' c. o. ERICSON momma FOR PUTTING covmas on CANS Filed June 27, 1925 9Sh ets-Sheet 5 N v v N 37% \a N x, Q q l\ M g I 0 Q 9 7 i Ii m i;

\ n I I h I I w j i: I w q Q U A 3 WW 1gb I WQMW c. o. ERICSQN MACHINEFOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Aug. 31 1926.

9 Sheets-Sheet 6' F'J'ed June 27 1925 Aug. 31 1926.

' C. O. ERICSON momma on PUTTING covsas on cans 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 FiledJune 27, 1925 Aug. 31 192 7 Z I flwluenboz, Z4 abtmm 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 C.O. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Filed June 27, 1925 Aug.31,1926;

. c. o. ERICSON MACHINE FOR PUTTING COVERS 0N CANS Filed June '27, 19259 Sheet s-Sheet 9 Patented A... 31, 1 926.

musear-e n, on nnnmnrm, NEW JERSEY,

- 7 *MACHDIET .ron'rum'rme covnns on cans.

smuch m 27, 1925. Serial m. 39,985.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for putting covers onloans, and the general object of my invention is to produce a practicalmachine which will automatically place the covers on filled cans andpress the covers firmly to place. More particular- 1y my invention isintended to produce a ma chine through which filled cans may be fed onebehind the other, to provide means for shaping the cans so as to makethem true and in cond1t10n to receive the covers, to automatically applthe covers to theindi "idual cans whi e they are held in shape ready toreceive the covers, and then to push the cover firmly to. its seat.

My invention also is intended to produce a machine whichwill work withgreat rapidity, and to this end I provide a hopper into which the coversmay be dumped loosely, and have means. for automatically raising thesecovers or lids to a chute which delivers them tothe cans, and furtherpro: vide means for automatically placing these covers right side up inthe chute through which they are fed; Furthermore, 'to'provide means formaintainingla c'onstant'supply of covers right side up in the delivery(hute, and for returning the covers which are wrong side up, andwhich'are in excess of the number required, to the-supply hopper. Myinvention is also intended to provide means for accurately andresiliently guiding the individual covers to'the appropriate cans, andplacing the covers on at one edge and'then graduallyplacing the wholecover over the can top by the movement of the can through the machine.These and other advantages will appear from the des'u-ipti'on whichfollows. I

Reference is to be'had' to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar reference characters 1nd1catecorresponding parts 1n allthe J views.

end to that shownin Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 5 is an elevation partly in sec:-

' tion taken from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 4. I 9

Figure 1 is a plan view of'the machine em.

lngure 3 is an end view of the opposite Figure -6 is a detail showingthe means for-finally pressing the covers to place.

Figure 7 is a broken enlarged detaiu plan of the part of the machinewhere the cover is applied ,to the can.

Figure 8 is a broken enlarged side elevation of the part of the machlneshown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a vertical section on the line line 9-9 of Figure 7 4 4Figure 10. is a. vertical ,section on the line m-m of Figure 7 lookingin the direction of the arrows 10, and Figure 11 is a cross section onthe line ww of: Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrow 11.

The drawings are made from a machine which isw in actual operationputting covers on cans filled with snufi', but'it will be understood.that many details of. the machine may he changed without afiecting theinvention, and that it can be readily adapted to cans of other shapesand kinds. f

As shown in the drawings, the machine is provided with a frame 10-whichcan be of any approved design, and at one end 1s a conveyor for carryingthe cans into and through the machine, which is in the form ofa belt 11,the upper member ofwhich runs over a support 12 in a common manner, andthe belt conveyor is carried by pulleys 13 and 14. Above the-upper mem-.ber pf the belt are spaced guides 15 referpulley 13 is provided withapulley 18, and

the shaft 19 of the pulley 14; is mounted in suitable bearings onthe endof the machine (see Figure 4). The pulley 18 which is preferably in theform of a sprocket wheel, connects by a chain 18 with the sprocket wheel20 on the shaft 21, and the latter connects by pinions 22and 23 with thedriving shaft 24 which extends lengthwise of the machine (see Figuresland 4:) and is provided with driving means which in the present instancecomprises a pulley 25 and belt 26. Thus the carrier or belt 11. is-

constantly driven through the means described, or. equivalent means, andthe cansjlfif which have been filled, are placed on the belt so as to becarried through the machine. The cans can be placed in any convenientway, as for instance by hand, or as is customary in analogous machinesthe cans may vbe delivered from a filling machine directly properlyreceive the cvers,they are at this.

point engaged by the rotating shaping Wheels 27 and 27' (see Figures 1,8 and 10) which have spaced recesses 28 shaped tofit half around thecan, and as the shaping.

wheels are opposed, the-opposite and registering recesses 28 W11]. closearound each can as it passes between the arms of the wheel, and give itits proper form' ready to receive the cover. To facilitate thisoperation, a pair of similar wheels 29-29" are arranged on the sameshafts as the wheels 2727, but are placed below so as to en- ,gage thecan sides lower down. Cans of the kind shown in the drawings are usuallyprovided with beads .16 near the top, and therefore the backs'of therecesses 28 are grooved as shown at 30. (see Figure 8) so as to fit overthese beads without distorting the can. These members 27 and 29 can berotated in any convenient way, and I have shown parallel shafts 31 whichare spaced apart and vertically arranged in the machine frame, theshafts being arranged to turn in unison, and the most convenient way isto connect them bygears 32 (see Figure 3). One of the shafts 31 isdriven, and as shown in Figure 3 this shaft is provided with a-worm gear33 connecting with a worm 34 (see Figure 6) on a counter shaft 35 whichis hung in suitable bearings 36 and is arranged parallel with thedriving shaft 24. This shaft is provided with a conventional slip clutch37, so that in'case of too much resistance the clutch will slip withoutdamaging any connected parts, and the shaft can be driven inany suitableway, as for instance by the pulley 38, belt 39,and pulley 40 on theshaft 24. Covers for the cans are supplied from a hopper 41, which haspreferably a screen bottom 42 (see Figure 1) to permit dust and dirt torattle throu h, and into this hopper the covers 43 are dumpedpromiscuously. These covers it will be noted are in the present instanceof a dish shape so as to fit nicely over the can top, but both the cansand covers might be of'difi'erent shapes, in which case anyone familiarwith the art would understand shaping the parts which fit the can andcover correspondingly.

The covers are raised from the hopper 41 by a continuous carrier44 whichcan most conveniently be a belt having cleats 45.

thereon, and I have shown the belt carried at its upper end by a .pulley46, and at the lower end by a pulley 47 (see Figures 2 and 3). The beltor carrier 44 enters the hopper 41 through an opening 48 (see Figures 1and 2), and the upper member runs parallel with the wall of the ho perwhich serves as a support for the elt.

After it leaves the hopper, the belt passes extends'inward across thebelt and is spaced tl'ierefrom' so that a-cover which lies flat willpass'beneath the member 51, but if it is cocked, or rides on another, itwill be engaged by the member 51 and pushed off into the chute 49 so asto be returned to the hopper. The upper end of the carrier together withits pulley, is supported by the pulley shaft52 which turns inhangers 53,and these serve as supports for this part of the mechanism, includingthe chutes and' hoppers presently described.- The lower pulley47 of thecarrier 44 is secured to a shaft 54 (see Figure 3) which is mounted insuitable bearings 55 on the hopper '41, and has a sprocket wheel 56driven by a chain 57 connecting with a sprocket, wheel 57 (see-Figure1,) on' the driving shaft 24.

The covers in the hopper 41 must be kept agitated and moved about sothat a sufficient number of them will fall on the carrier 44, and aconvenient and eflicient form of agitator is shown in Figures 1 and 5,comprising belts 58 which are. arranged on each side of the carrier 44and parallel therewith,

these belts passing through holes 59 and 60 in the wall of the hopper 41and running over pulleys 61 and 62 (see Figure 3), one of the pulleyshafts 63 being driven by means of a sprocket wheel 64 and chain belt 65connecting with a sprocket wheel 66 on belts 58 are constantly running,they keep the covers in the hopper agitated, and a sufficientnumber ofthem will fall on the carrier 44 to keep the latter fairly well filled,and in practice it is completely filled.

The capacity of the carrier 44 is much greater than is necessary tosupply covers to the cans as they pass through the machine, because manyof the covers have to be returned to the hopper on account of theirdisarrangement, or being wrong side up, as will presently appear.

the shaft 54 already referred to. As these i connects by a pipe 73 withthe pipe 71, and

as the covers are discharged from the lower end of the chute to bepressed on the cans,

they will be top side' up. It is important that the chute 69 be loaded,and so more than a sufficient supply is delivered from the carrier 44 tothe mouth of the chute, but to provide for this excess without cloggingthe machine, the receiving end portion of the chute has a sidev opening69 (see Figure 1), delivering into the hopper 72, which this deliversinto the hopper 41 When the chute 69 is filled up to the opening 69",the excess covers will roll off through the opening, but the chute willbe kept full to this point. The pipe 71 also connects with a hopper 70which is in line with the. pulley 46 and the upper end of the carrier44, so that the covers 43 which are topside up as they pass over the topof the carrier, will not be blown into the mouth 68 but will pass overand fall into the hopper 70 and so back to the hopper 41. Thus it willbe seen that I provide a positive means, thoroughly automatic, forkeeping the hopper 69 loaded with covers in sufficient supply to coverthe cans 16 passing through the machine. a e

The chute 69 is a gravity chute, and its lower portion is supported by abracket 74 (see Figures 5, 7 and 9) on the machine frame, and this-bracket carries a spring member 75 whichis bent over as shown in Figure9, and has its lower portion formed into a guard plate 75' which extendsjust above the filled cans and prevents the cans and their contents frombeing displaced.

Before further describing the operation of applying the covers,attention is called tothe factthat after the cans leave the inner endof-the carrier 11, theyare pushed further along through the machine onspaced guide rails 76 which are suitably supported between the guides15', their tops being substantially on the same level as the top of thecarrier 11, and these rails'serve the double purpose of permitting anydust or scattered material from the cans to drop through, and also ofasolid support for the cans when pressure is applied to them in puttingon the covers.

At the lower end of the cover-delivery chute 69 and on the top thereofis a guide 77 which is held substantially parallel with the bottom ofthe chute and serves to nicely guide the covers toplace, this memberbeing turned up slightlyiat its lower free end as shown at 78 in Figure9. It can be supported in any convenient way, and I have shown itcarried by cross bars 79 on the top of the chute. The member 77 isriveted to the upper cross bar 79 and can be ad'usted up and down bya'thumb screw 80 in the second cross bar so asto make it properly fitthe covers.

The chute 69 is open at the under side as shown at 81 to permit thecovers to drop through, and the sides of the chute are prolonged asshown at 69 to assist in guiding the covers to place. At the lower endofthe chute 69 and at the point where theeovers are applied to the cans,is a pair of pawls 82 each pivoted as shown at 83 on the top sides ofthe chute, and the pawls are shaped to fit against the can covers, andare limited in their movements by the pins 83 on the chute which enterthe recesses 83* in the pawls.

wards each other by a spring 84, and act so that the same will firstengage-one edge of the can as shown clearly in Figure 9, and thus beproperly started so that the continued movement of the can through themachineand the pressing down of the cover as presently described, willpermit the latter to be surely adjusted; and to further facilitate thismovement, the cover is guided as it descends and leaves the chute bya toeasily engage the covers without dentin'g" them. This presser foot canbe supported in any convenient way, and I have shown it hinged to. aspindle 92 and pressed to place by a spring 91' arranged between thepresscr The pawls are lightly pressed to-' like a pair of fingers toalign the lowermostcover to the can beneath and guide the cover foot anda fixed collar 93 on the lower part of a hanger 94, the latter beingsupported from a bracket 95 (see Figures 8 and 9), and this has an arm96acting as a guide for the spindle 92, and the latter is further" guidedin the sleeve 94 arranged between the members 93 and 96. A nut 98 servesto hold the spindle in place.

The covers. are now in place on thecans, and a final compression meansis used to seat them firmlv and securely for This is. accomplished bythe rollers 99 and 100 (see Figure 6) which are yertically, 3

packing.

' cans through so as to easily engage the cans without .injury. 'Theroller 100 is carried by a shaft 102, and the" roller 99 'by a shaft101, the latter roller also working in an opening 103 in the rails 76 soas to contact with the bottom of the cans as they pass through. Thedirection of the rollersrotation corresponds to the progressive movementof the cans so that the latter will pass freely through them, and itwill be seen that every cover must be pressed securely to place, thelower edge pressing down to the bead '16.

The compression rollers 99 and 100 can be turned in any convenientmanner. To show an operative means I have illustrated them as connectingby gears 104, and I have shown theshaft 102 provided with a sprocketwheel 105 driven by a chain 106 connecting with a sprocket wheel 107 ontheshaft 108, and the latter connects by gears 109 and 110 with thedriving shaft 24.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have produced avery positive and comparatively simple scheme for applying covers tofilled cans with great accuracy and speed. It will be noted that thecans pass continuously without the necessity even of an intermittentmovement through the guide of the machine, that the covers areautomatically supplied to the delivery chute 69 in such a way that thereis no'danger of the covers missing, that the covers are ac curately andautomatically guided to their seats on the can tops as the latter passbeneath them, that the presser foot 89 serves simply by the movement ofthe cans, themselves to press the covers to place, and that finally thecompression rollers 99 and 100 force the covers to their final seats ina perfeet and secure manner.

I claim 1. A machine of the kind described comprising means for, movinga row of filled the machine one behind the other, means for deliveringcovers successively to the cans so that each cover will first engage thecorresponding edge portion of a can, and means for guiding and pushingthe cover to its seat on the can, said means being actuated by theprogressive movement of the can.

2. A machine of the kind described comprising means for moving a row ofcans one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chutedischarging individual covers upon the individual cans, a hoppersupplying covers to the delivery chute,- and means coacting with saidcovers to'positipn the same in said chute whereby to guide the covers tothe cans.

3. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row ofcans one behind the other through the machine,

means for shaping the cans symmetrically,

for applying covers to the cans while held in the shaper, and means forfinally forcing the covers to their seats on the cans.

5. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row ofcans one behind the other through the machine, means for guiding coversto their seats 0 .1 the cans as they pass through the machine, andspaced compression rollers arranged above and below the row of cans andadapted to engage the cans and move the same in the direction of traveland also to force the covers to their final seats as the cans passthrough them.

6. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a. rowof cans one behind the other through the machine, shaping means for thecans, means for guiding the covers to their seats on the cans while thelatter are in said shaping means, and a compression device exertingendwise pressure on the cans to force the covers to their final seatsand to move the same in the direction of travel.

7. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row ofcans one behind the other through the machine, a shaper comprisingrotating members having recesses to engage and symmetrically shape thecans as they passthrough, and means for applying the covers to the canswhile they are held in the shaper.

8. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row ofcansone behind the other through the machine, and

a shaper comprising a plurality of pairs of rotating members to shapethe cans as the latter pass between the said members and operative on aparticular can as the cover is applied thereto.

9. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a row ofcans one behind the other through. the machine, a delivery chutearranged to deliver covers to the cans, and guiding pawls near thejunction of the chute and cans, said pawls being arranged to guide thecovers to their seats on the cans,

10. A machine of the kind described comprising'means for carrying.a rowof cans onebehind the other through the machine, a guide chutedelivering covers to the can tops, a pair of guide pawls arranged abovethe chute and in position to engage the covers and guide them so thattheir edge portions will engage the corresponding edge portions of thecans, and a second pair of pawls behind the first pair acting to guide11. A machine of the kind described comprising means for carrying cansone behind the other through the machine, 'a guide chute deliveringcovers to the cans, means for aligning the individual covers with theindividual oans as the cans pass the bottomof the chute, means forguiding the individual covers to the individual cans after said covershave been aligned, and a presser footabove the can tops and in the pathof the covers acting to push the covers upon the cans.

12. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding a. rowof cams one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chutearranged to deliver covers to the cans,.fiexible means for grasping thecovers and guiding the same to the cans, and a stationary presser footarranged above the can tops and behind the cover guiding means wherebythe forward movement of the cans will cause the presser foot to push thecovers upon the cans.

13. In a machine of the kind described, the combination of means forcarrying a row of cans one behind the other through the machine, adelivery chute arranged to deliver successiye covers to the successivecans, a guide in the top of the chute, flexible guides on the sides ofthe chute arranged to align the covers with the cans, and fieXi-. bleguides on said chute to engage the covers after alignment and guide thesame to their seats on the cans.

y 14. A machine of the'kind described comprising a horizontally movingcarrier for cans, spaced rails forming an extension of the carrier, andmeans for applying covers tofhe cans while the cans are on the said rais.

15. A machine of the kind described comprising a carrier moving insubstantially a straight line, spaced rails forming an extension of thecarrier, and means for applying covers to the cans and pressing thecovers to place while the cans are on the said rails.

16. A machine of the kind'described comprising means for moving a row ofcans one behind the other through the machine, a delivery chute todischarge the covers upon the cans, a guide on the top of the chute atthe point where the chute discharges the covers, and a presser footforming an extension of said guide and arranged to push the coversuponthe cans. I i

17. A machine of the kind described comprising means for moving a row ofcans through the machine, means for delivering covers to the cans withthe rear edges of the covers first engaging the cans, and ayieldingpresser foot arranged substantially I -opposite the end of thecover delivering.

means and adapted to push the covers upon the cans and spaced above thecans and in line with the partly raised cover tops, said presser foothaving its front portion rounded at the point where it strikes thecover.

18. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the a machine acover supplying means comprising a delivery chute, a hopper for carr ingcovers, means for raising the covers rom the hopper to the mouth of thedelivery chute, and a jet pipe arranged to blow the covers from thecarrier to the chute.

19. A. machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through themachine a coversupplying means comprising a cover delivery chute, a hopper, a carriermovable through theihopper and arranged to raise covers tothe mouth ofthe delivery chute, means for blowing the covers from the top of thecarrier into the chute, and guides opposite the cover carrier acting tocenter the covers on the carrier and to brush ofi improperly placedcovers.

20. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feed ing cans one behind the other through the machine, acover delivery means comprising a hopper, a cover delivery chute, acarrier arranged to raise covers from the hopper to the delivery chute,a second chute through which the carrier runs, said second chutedischarging into the hopper and having a width permitting covers to liebetween the side of the chute and the carrier, and means for brushingimproperly placed covers from the carrier to the said second chute.

21. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a coverdelivery means comprising ing a hopper,Ia cover delivery chute, acarrier to raise the covers from the hopper to the chute, a jet pipe toblow a portion of a'jet pipe to blow a-portion of the covers from thecarrier to the delivery chute but ermittin the remainder to return tosaid opper t rough said second chute, and means for returning; certainof the blown covers to the hopper. 1

23. A machine of the kind described, com, prising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine *a coverdelivery means comprising a delivery chute, a hopper, a carrier arrangedto carry an excess supply of covers to the delivery chute with some ofthe covers top side up and the others bottom side up, and a jet pipedirected and arranged to blow the covers which are bottom side up intothe said delivery chute.

24. A machine of the kind described,'comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a coverdelivery means compris-' ing a delivery chute, a hopper, a carrierarranged to carry an excess supply of covers to the mouth of thedelivery chute, a second chute near the mouth of=the delivery chute andextending back to the hopper, means for discharging the excess coversupply to the second or return chute and means for returning some of thecovers from the delivery chute to the hopper. i

25. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a coversupply means comprising a hopper, a delivery chute, means for raising anexcess supply of covers to the mouth of the delivery chute, means forblowing the covers which are bottom side up into the delivery chute, asecond chute arranged to return the unblown covers back to the hopper,and means for discharging the excess covers from the side of thedelivery chute into the said second chute.

26. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a coverdelivery means comprising a chute of a width to guide the covers andwith a side opening therein, means for delivering an excess number ofcovers in the mouth of the chute whereby the surplus orexcess coverswill pass out through the aforesaid side opening and means permittingonly a portion of the covers to be delivered to the delivery chute.

27. A machine of the kind described, comprising in combination withmeans for feeding cans one behind the other through the machine a coverdelivery means comprising a chute to deliver covers having its mainportion of substantially the Width of the covers and with a side openingtherein, a hopper, a carrier to raise the covers from the hopper to themouth of the delivery chute,

means for carrying an excess number ofcans comprising means for carryingthe cans one behind the other row-wise through the machine, a coverdelivery chute arranged to deliver the covers to the cans with the backedges of the covers first engaging the corresponding edge port-ions ofthe cans, means operated by the progressive movement of the cans to seatthe covers on the cans, a cover supply hopper, means for deliveringcovers to the delivery chute from the hopper in excess of the numberrequired to load the delivery chute, and means for returning the excessnumber of covers to the hopper.

20. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding cansthrough the machine a cover delivery means comprising a cover hopper, achute delivering covers, a carrier raising the covers from the hopper tothe chute, means for discharging a portion of the covers from thecarrier to the chute, means for returning the remaining covers to thehopper, an agitator in the hopper comprising movable belts running adjacent the walls of the hopper, and means to seat the covers on the cans.

In testimony whereof, I have, signedmy name to this specification this26th day of June, 1925.

CHARLES O. ERICSQN.

